Abandono escolar e efundula: perceções de um grupo de jovens mães da província do Cunene, no Sul de Angola

In the last few years, several studies have been dealing with the complex dynamic that, in sub-Saharan Africa, relates girls’ school dropout and ignition rituals. Scientific research often explores these elements by integrating the topic of early pregnancy/maternity into the discussions. However, the connection between those dimensions is not clear and more information is needed. As far as we know, in Angola there has been no research exploring perspectives about schooling and school dropout and about experience of initiation rituals (efundula) in young mothers who dropped out of school, whose pregnancy/maternity happened under 18 years of age, after efundula. Our study seeks a first contribution in deepening knowledge in this area, giving voice to the young girls and exploring the meanings that emerge from their experience in relation with efundula, school life and school dropout. The group of participants consists of 10 initiated mothers, aged 16 to 18, who don’t attend school. A qualitative approach was employed. After informed consent, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded and later verbatim transcribed. Data was then analyzed using a semi-inductive approach supported by qualitative data analysis software Nvivo. Part of the participants stated that it was not their decision to participate in Efundula, but they understood its role as “tradition”. School experience is described positively valuing different aspects. Dropout is often described as directly related to pregnancy/maternity, but not to efundula. Direct relation between efundula and pregnancy/maternity is underlying. Most participants report that they do not intend to go back to school. Results point to the need to know more about girls’ school dropout in order to intervene/prevent possible individual and social negative consequences.